Your real estate agent in Bangkok

THE RENTALS PROCESS

If you are looking to rent a property, the first step is to fill out the PROPERTY SEARCH - NEEDS ASSESSMENT FORM (below) as completely as possible, the more details that you can provide the better for a match to be made on what you want. You do not need to fill-in the form but we feel that it will at least get you thinking about your requirements! Once we have gone through your requirements we will contact you within 24 hours with some options that meet your criteria. We can then arrange for you to view any of the places that you feel are suitable at a date and time of your convenience. Alternatively, you can just send an email to us at info@goldengateasia.comdetailing your requirements!

Once you have chosen a property to rent we can provide a Lease Agreement where the owner does not have one or we can check the owner’s Lease Agreement and negotiate the finer details on your behalf.

To help you to find the perfect property torent in Bangkok we really only need to know 4 things:

Firstly, you need to decide where you want to live? Thelocation you choose will depend upon your circumstances. Factors you may need to consider are:

Does your ideal property need to be close to one of the mass transit systems (BTS Skytrain, MRTA Subway, Airport Rail Link or the BRT Bus Rapid Transit system) to enable you to travel to your place of work? If you have your own transport this may not be an issue to you and you may obtain better value being away from the main transit systems.

Do you need to be close or within easy access to your children’s school?

Do you need to be close to an Expressway entrance to allow you to travel to the outskirts of Bangkok or to the airport or your place of work?

If you are not sure where you want / need to live we can suggest some options if you are not familiar with Bangkok. Please feel free to ask!

Secondly,decide what type of residential property you need and what size? Do you want to rent an, a, aor a ?

How many bedrooms do you require for you and your family and potential visitors? Do you need a Study / Family room? Do you need a Maid’s room? Do you need a storage room?

You may also decide that you need a property of a certain size in addition to the number of bedrooms. i.e. You need at least 200 sq.m of space for all of your furniture!

Do you need the property to be Fully-Furnished, Partly-Furnished or Unfurnished. If you need an unfurnished property you will need to decide how much space you will need to cater for your own furniture!

Third,What is your budget to rent a property? You need to decide how much you can afford to spend on renting the property, excluding Utility bills (Electricity, Water, Telephone, Internet, Cable TV)? Most properties are rented excluding the utility bills unless you are renting a .

The rental price may be negotiable depending upon the length of the lease and how soon you can start the lease! The minimum lease term is 1-year to get the best rental rates. If you have your own furniture or can pay the rent in advance or can move into the property quickly this may also help with the rental price negotiation!

Fourth, decide if you have any special requirements such as

You need a place that is Pet-Friendly

You need a place that has a Children’s play area

You need a place that has a swimming pool

You need a place that has a fitness room

You need a place that has a parking space

You need a place that has a balcony/terrace

Is there anything else that you need in your property?

All of the above details will help us to find the perfect home for you!

Based on your requirements of location, size, budget and any special needs, we will search our extensive database using our specially designed algorithm to locate a selection of properties that meet your criteria! Of course you yourself can also use the search facility on our website which will give you a selection of properties that are currently available. However, all properties may not be shown on our website as we only show those properties that are currently available but if you contact us directly we may also be able to show properties that are likely to become available in the following 1-2 months!

We can then arrange a tour of suitable properties at a time convenient to you as long as we can gain access to the property. This service is Free of Charge to clients renting a property through our company. We are paid by the owner’s of the property for providing the tenant-to-property matching service!

When you have made your decision to rent a property, we will contact the Lessor (owner) to negotiate on your behalf. The negotiation could be on price or on your additional requirements or on the timing of your move…..we aim to get a fair and mutually beneficial deal for both the Lessee and the Lessor.

To reserve a property usually requires a small before ultimately paying the (bond) and signing the Lease Agreement before the move-in date. The ‘booking fee’ may be up to 1-month’s rent. The Security Deposit is usually equal to 1-2 month’s rent (but occasionally 3 month's rent for larger properties). This booking fee would be considered as part of the security deposit. The security deposit is returnable to the tenant at the end of the lease term. The tenant would then also pay the rent on a monthly basis in advance. The first month’s rent is payable before the move-in date.

The law regarding Leasing of properties was changed in Thailand. Effective 1st May, 2018 owner’s of 5 properties or more are obliged to follow certain rules. The main changes from the previous law are that:

Lessor’s cannot charge more than 1-month’s rent as Security Deposit.

Lessor’s must return the Security Deposit within 7 days at the end of a lease term.

Lessor’s cannot charge Utility bills higher than the rate charged to them by the Utility companies.

This law is still under review and may not be in effect in many apartment buildings where it is still possible to negotiate alternate lease terms.

All relevant paperwork and the lease contract is drawn up in English but it may also be drawn up in Thai language if required.

The tenant would be responsible for any utility bills (Electricity, Water, Telephone) and any other personal bills such as for High Speed Internet and Cable TV once the keys are handed over.

If you do not see a suitable property on our website, you can send an email to us atinfo@goldengateasia.com with some brief details of your requirements.

THE BUYING / SELLING PROCESS

We can help you to find the right property to buy and make sure that the transfer to you is effected legally and efficiently! Below is a simple guide when transferring a property from a seller to a buyer!

If you are a Seller of a Condominium unit we can provide a valuation of the selling price for the unit and an estimate of the fees and taxes involved in the transfer of the unit to a potential buyer. Just contact us atinfo@goldengateasia.com.

If you are the seller of a condominium unit you should

Check if the buyer will pay cash or if they will need a loan from the bank. If a bank loan is required the bank will need to inspect and make a valuation of the condo unit.

Be specific about what is included in the sale of the condo. Are all of the furnishings, fixtures and fittings to be included in the sale?

Decide how much you will need as a deposit to take the property off the market before the property is transferred.

If you are a potential buyer of a condominium unit you should

Check the Annual Maintenance Fee for the condominium unit. This may be given to you as a cost per sq.m per month so you will need to know the exact size of the unit.

Understand the split of the costs involved in buying the condominium unit. Who pays the Transfer Fee, Business Tax (if payable), Withholding Tax and Stamp Duty?

Understand what is included in the selling price? Are the furniture, fixtures and fittings included?

Make sure that all of the bills at the condo have been paid by the seller before the transfer. This can be confirmed by the Juristic Person at the condominium.

Check what the deposit amount (if any) is required to secure the purchase of the property prior to arranging transfer at the Land Department.

Notes for Foreigner’s Buying in Thailand.

Foreigner’s can only buy Condominium units. They cannot buy Land or a House in their own name. However, it may be possible to buy under a Company name!

Foreigner’s buying a Condominium unit must check that the ‘Foreign Quota’ has not been exceeded. Freehold Condominium buildings are limited to selling up to a maximum 49% of the available space to foreigner’s. Leasehold Condominiums do not have this restriction.

The funds for the purchase of a condominium unit must come from outside Thailand unless you can justify that the funds have been earned legitimately in Thailand. The correct documentation must be obtained from the receiving bank in Thailand to enable the foreign buyer to process the transaction and to also help with remitting funds back to the foreign buyer’s home country if/when the condominium unit is sold.

It may be possible to obtain a loan in Thailand to finance the purchase of a condominium within Thailand subject to restrictions.

We can help you to not only find your ideal property to buy but we can also assist in transferring the property from buyer to seller. Please feel free to contact us directly at info@goldengateasia.com

Apartments are in buildings where the whole building is owned by one individual or by a company. It is designed specifically to cater for people looking to rent (lease) living space and has onsite administration, management and maintenance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to resolve any problems that a tenant may have at the apartment. The apartment can be supplied fully-furnished, partly-furnished or unfurnished. The utility bills (electricity and water) are paid by the lessee based on usage and vary from building-to-building and may be charged at a higher fixed rate per unit than in Condominium units.

Condominium (condo) units are in buildings where each of the units of living space is individually privately owned by different people and is sellable real estate. The building will also have onsite management and maintenance for the jointly-owned common areas of the building and may be able to resolve some issues in the individual unit but direct contact should be made to the individual owner of the unit first. The utility bills (electricity and water) will be the same from building-to-building and be direct from the relevant authorities.

Houses can be standalone privately-owned or in a secure gated community with a club house and shared facilities such as a swimming pool and fitness room. The vast majority of houses are privately owned and a tenant would deal directly with the owner if there are any maintenance issues. If the house is in a compound there is often central management and maintenance. The utility bills (electricity and water) will be direct from the relevant authorities. Houses in Thailand are measured by the size of the land that they occupy, in Square Wah. One Sq.Wah is equal to four (4) Sq.m.

Townhouses are houses in a row or terrace usually with an adjoining wall and over multiple floors. The number of floors may be between 2 and 7 floors and may have a roof terrace or garden. They are normally individually owned but some are in a ‘managed’ compound. The utility bills will be direct from the relevant authorities.

Booking Fee is a fee paid by a lessee to a property lessor to reserve a property before the lease rental details have been finalised. On receiving a booking fee the lessor will take the property off the market. It is not necessary to pay a booking fee but if this is not done the property will still be on the market and can be shown to other prospective tenants and may be leased by someone else. The booking fee is considered as part of the security deposit (bond) and is refundable at the end of the lease term.

Security Deposit (sometimes known as a ‘bond’) is paid by a lessee (tenant) of a property to the lessor (owner) of a property to safeguard the lessor in the course of a lease rental agreement against default by the tenant and for the cost of repair in relation to any damage explicitly specified in the lease agreement caused by the tenant or by the tenant’s family or employees. The security deposit is returnable at the end of the lease term or earlier if specified in the terms of the lease.

Serviced Apartments are in buildings where the whole building is owned by one individual or by a company. It is designed specifically to cater for people looking to rent (lease) living space and has onsite administration, management and maintenance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to resolve any problems that a tenant may have with the apartment. The utility bills (electricity and water) are paid by the lessee based on usage and vary from building-to-building and may be charged at a higher fixed rate per unit than in Condominium units. The rental prices tend to be higher than in apartments as they also provide a service in the form of a daily change of bed linen and towels and will provide breakfast and furnishings in the apartment. The electricity and water nay also be included in the rental price. They are usually for short-term rental (one week to one or two months) before finding longer-term accommodation.

Houses can be standalone privately-owned or in a secure gated community with a club house and shared facilities such as a swimming pool and fitness room. The vast majority of houses are privately owned and a tenant would deal directly with the owner if there are any maintenance issues. If the house is in a compound there is often central management and maintenance. The utility bills (electricity and water) will be direct from the relevant authorities. Houses in Thailand are measured by the size of the land that they occupy, in Square Wah. One Sq.Wah is equal to four (4) Sq.m.

Townhouses are houses in a row or terrace usually with an adjoining wall and over multiple floors. The number of floors may be between 2 and 7 floors and may have a roof terrace or garden. They are normally individually owned but some are in a ‘managed’ compound. The utility bills will be direct from the relevant authorities. Townhouses in Thailand are measured by the size of the land plot that they occupy, in Square Was. One Sq. Was is equal to four (4) Sq.m.

Apartments are in buildings where the whole building is owned by one individual or by a company. It is designed specifically to cater for people looking to rent (lease) living space and has onsite administration, management and maintenance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to resolve any problems that a tenant may have at the apartment. The apartment can be supplied fully-furnished, partly-furnished or unfurnished. The utility bills (electricity and water) are paid by the lessee based on usage and vary from building-to-building and may be charged at a higher fixed rate per unit than in Condominium units.

About Us

We are an Independent Real Estate Agency with expertise in the Bangkok property market. Whether you are new to Bangkok or have been a resident for a while, we can take care of your property requirements with a personal and professional service. Golden Gate Asia Company Ltd has been helping both expats and locals to find their perfect property in central Bangkok since the year 2000. We have worked with Embassy’s, Corporation’s and Companies of all sizes and requirements as well as individuals and entrepreneurs looking for something specific or for a good deal.

Testimonials

I strongly commend David Wilson of Golden Gate Asia to anyone looking for a Bangkokapartment or home. I relocated to Bangkok last year and contacted a number of real estate brokers. David quickly understood what I was looking for and my price range and started showing meplaces that precisely met my needs. This contrasted sharply with other Bangkok brokers, who tended to either just show me places they wanted to unload or try to convince me what I really needed was something else that they just happened to have on their list.I now am happily living in an apartment which is also managed by Golden Gate Asia. In the apartment search, the lease negotiations and now the management, I was very pleased by David’senergetic and fair approach. I’m sure you will be as well.Bob Fitts (U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Ruamrudee)

I was introduced to David of Goldengate Asia over a year ago by a friend when I was looking for a condo to rent in the same vicinity as my old one. He immediately came up with several suitable condos that fitted my needs and a contract was signed for one in just a few days. I have subsequently been extremely satisfied with my choice and David's management of the property has been superb. David and his team are excellent property agents, and he takes great pride in providing suitable properties at reasonable prices. He is extremely easy to make contact with and his attention to detail in all aspects of property searches, contract negotiations, condo management and customer care is second to none. I will definitely use his services again when I next need property to either buy or rent.Peter Moseley (Sathorn)

David and Goldengate have helped me on my last two moves in Bangkok. I
very much enjoyed the experience of working with David and his staff
and found their genuine interest in MY priorities for a new home to be
refreshing and satisfying, not to say far less time-wasting. Where
other agents seem to almost disregard these in favour of their own
priorities for rental or sale, I found David's obvious effort's in
weeding out and careful selection of properties which all met my stated
criteria highly impressive. he clearly has another satisfied client
here, as his commitment to customer satisfaction, and personable
manner, made my search both enjoyable and satisfying. i would highly
recommend David and Goldengate to any home hunter in Bangkok, whatever
their needs.Bill Gloyne (Chief Financial Officer BTS - Bangkok Mass Transit Systems PCL , Sukhumvit)

What impressed me most about David and the service he and his staff (especially Khun Rainy) provide at Goldengate Asia, is not only his extensive knowledge of the market and the properties available, but also his close attention to detail. Even when he is on holiday he insists on following up to make sure that everything is running smoothly. He offers a very professional service, his staff are excellent, and he goes to a lot of trouble to ensure you are happy. Even after the lease has been signed David is still following up on any outstanding issues to make sure both parties are quite happy with the deal. I would strongly recommend David and his team to anyone looking to buy or rent property here in Thailand.Gary Purtill (Advisor, Bangkok Bank Limited, Sathorn/ Riverside)

Hello Khun David,Thank you for providing me a decent tenant for my house.I've been doing this house-for-rent business of mine for some long years and I've dealt with quite a number of agents. Although I have to admit that yours are a very very good one, or may I say, the best.I remembered you said more than once that you like for everyone to be happy with the deal. Now I would say that you've indeed done that. I also can see that your service is honest, sincere and caring. Thank you very much for that.Best wishes for you and Khun Rainy and your business

Boontam Chirnaksorn (Sathorn)

Golden Gate was my agent in locating my residence for rent on two occasions as well as for the sale of my investment condominium unit.. David Wilson is knowledgeable, professional, hands-on and a straight shooter. He made the process easy each time. He focused on my needs, showing me properties and deals that I liked and was great at delivering the goods and getting me the best deal. He's sincerely interested in quality relationships and repeat business rather than volume. I offer my highest recommendation without hesitation and frequently refer him to my close friends.Christopher Chung. Nomura Securities. (Rajdamri)

What sets David apart from other agents is his ability to intuitively understand EXACTLY what you want. I had spent months searching for the perfect apartment – online, in newspapers and magazines, contacting other agents. When I told David, in brief, my criteria and the style of apartment I was looking for, he quickly produced a selection of apartments that were amazing matches. And he continued to follow up, during and after my move, to make sure I was satisfied and that everything was going smoothly.Ron Edwards (Keen Publishing, Asoke)

I've known David for over the last three years both as a client and friend. Golden Gate has provided me excellent service in discovering two unique rental properties. His company's strength - for me - lies in its ability to understand the client's particular needs and wishes and then to launch an exhaustive search until the goal is attained. And the service doesn't end there: he will negotiate on the client's behalf and even organize ancillary services. Highly recommended
Patrick Rekart, Executive Directive, Black Ink Group (Sathorn)

I have worked with David on two occasions in the past year. He did a great job of matching my criteria with potential apartments and found my present home within a week of contact! I would highly recommend David Wilson and the team at Golden Gate Asia to anyone looking for housing in Bangkok. He is professional, pleasant to work with, and efficient an thorough in finalizing details between landlord and tenant.Melinda Burnette (Sathorn)

I would like to thank David and his team for providing an excellent
service, on two occasions he has found excellent apartments matching my
needs exactly and assisting me with setting up everything. His local
knowledge is second to none and his database of apartments is
outstanding. I would highly recommend his service to anyone looking for
an apartment, new comers to this city as well as those who have been
here a while.Wayne Rogers (Riverside)